A little backstory:

Back 8 or 9 years ago, I had finished hair school, after having finished a university degree that led to nowhere. I imediately started working at a franchise hair salon inside of Walmart so I could start paying off student loans for 4 year college and private hair school. What a world we live in, getting jobs just to pay off loans for schools we had to go to in order to get said jobs… but I digress.. 🤔😵‍💫🥴🥴🥴

I had fun at that job, especially the first year there, despite only making $7.25 an hour (I hated the rude clients though, and left after the second year there). Some of the coworkers were hilarious, the manager was great, and I really liked shopping inside of the big, clean Walmart for lunch or anything else I needed after work! It was a great Walmart to be at, very large and spotless.

The hair salon was not owned by Walmart of course. I liked the company okay, even though it paid slave wages, and only part time hours which means no benefits or moving up, etc. At the time I was still living with my parents, so I saved as much as I could.

One day, one of the big wigs from the hair company came to speak with us. She was super friendly, professional, and had a lot of achievements under her belt, which is why she got the position of a higher up, I imagine. She told us we need to create vision boards. So we sat there coming up with ideas of things we WANTED. She encouraged us to put goals, like traveling, big trips, cars, and other luxury items.

I was no fool, but at the same time, I was freshly out of college, and making a paycheck for the FIRST time in my life, so I didn’t know much. I didn’t really care to travel. I’ve never traveled far, and I’m not that interested, especially only making minimum wage… That’s not a thought that regularly crossed my mind, if at all.

I decided in that moment to cut out photos of handbags and paste them on the vision board, a long with a car, and I can’t remember anything else. At the time I had a few purses or bags from websites such as Tradesy and brick and mortar stores like TJMAXX. This is the most feasable way to scoop up trendy brands like Marc Jacobs or Kate Spade, if you are a regular person on a budget. Besides who wants to spend any more than those prices, not me!!

I had already began the small collecting of bags (even in middle school I carried small makeup bags and purses, then in high school bigger bags were popular), but I think after this moment in the hair salon, I may have collected some bags for the WRONG reasons. I blame the big wig and the stupid assignment of gluing down greedy “goals”, which were actually just connsumerististic, shallow dreams. I believe they just wanted us to focus on something that would take all of our money so that we had to keep working for them, without sick days, and on call even on off days… for $7.25. (I am not bitter, I honestly think this was their intention at the company. Smart and evil on their part, really. )

Let me explain why this led to me purchasing a few bigger purses that were fancy brands…. I guess you can argue that I have always had this blog, and enjoyed sharing handbags, occasionally. But within the last 8 or 9 years, I bought more handbags than I would like to admit. Even on Mercari when they would give me coupons, purses were what I spent on.

Did I subconciously think that the purses meant that I had status or that it looked like I had status to others? I think so. Which is pretty funny because overall, I get more compliments on my cheaper, smaller handbags, than any of my Brahmin, Tory Burch, Coach, or Michael Kors bags. I ended up having so many hangbags spilling out of the closet, that I was annoyed, and started selling them!

The bigger the purse, the more likely I am to put it up for sale now. I’ve started carrying small, pink, fluffy, very aesthetic bags. Most of my bigger satchels and shoulder bags are too cumbersome and I’m done with them. I barely carry anything with me, so it’s logical to go smaller.

I’ve learned that it is better to go with my style and what I want, and who cares about the brand or what other people think or say about the bag when they see me with it. I’m done waiting to be noticed or appreciated. I’m doing what I want, and screw the rest!!

The last couple of years, I’ve sold a Betty Boop bag, a Fight Club bag, faux channel bag, a milk carton purse, bobba tea crossbody, a Brahmin bag, Tinkerbell bag, Betsey Johnson Clutch, a Prada makeup bag, and maybe more that I can’t think of right now.

I’ve thrown away or donated, a big Coach bag, a giant Michael Kors satchel, a faux Hermes bag, and a damaged, aging, Kate Spade bag, and several bags from high school or before.

I keep my handbags in this clear, waterproof moving bag!

So far I have sold 12 handbags,  donated a few,  thrown some away.  I’ve come a long way!